One Of The Shadows

Go (Part 1)

   I turned around slowly, looking for the pathetic, worthless, useless, unloyal cowards that were hiding from me.  At times they would run, I would try to kill them, then they'd hide again. I wasn't in a rush, so I didn't try too hard. But even still, I didn't like that they were trying to take me down. They didn't understand what I was doing. How I was going to make the world a better place, rid it of a lying, fake, cruel leader. I would cleanse the world. Get rid of any people like Chrystal, like my past friends. Only the loyal would be left, the only ones which you could trust.

   "Annora!" I shot my hand out lazily towards Valdemar who sped away.

   "Annora!" I turned again to see Arlen. I raised my hand. He didn't move. I felt the energy. He still stood still. I felt the crackle at my finger tips. He raised his eyes to meet mine. Closing my eyes and turning my head away I fired. I could hear that it missed.

   Valdemar, Rafael, Arlen each darted around. Fabian had disappeared quickly, not willing to risk his life. I didn't even bother with him. But after a few minutes I noticed that no one held Chrystal and I knew that they had hidden her. So I payed extra attention to where they ran to. And after a few minutes my gaze wondered to a certain wall, and I knew I had located her. They thought that they were distracting me, but they were only waring themselves out. And I loved every moment of it.

   In the corner of my eye I saw a bright blonde head. I turned around to see Maxfield, face showing his pain. Of losing his brother, his friend, and being alone.

   "Hello Maxfield," I said formally, not bothering to lower myself to the ground. "What are you doing here?"

   "Annora..." His eyes looked over at one of they guys, I presumed, then he looked back at me. "I see you got your powers."

   I let the energy rush towards him, knowing that he was only going to try and delay. But why put off what was going to happen soon anyway?

   He easily dodged, being trained and fit.

   "You need to stop. Don't hurt the people that care about you," Maxfield tried to reason.

   "And who cares, Max?" I asked him. After a tiny pause I spoke again. "No one. Not anymore. Not you, not Val, not Arlen or Rafael or Chrystal. No one cares."

   "I care!" I heard Arlen yell from behind me. "Why do you think I'm staying!?"

   "Because you're stubborn!" I turned to look at him. "You think you care, but you don't! Sooner or later you'll realise that you hate me! And then you'll leave! Ever since I was little that's been the pattern! So don't pretend you're different to everyone else!"

   Arlen stood straight, strong, brave, close to me, not at a great distance. And then more tears came. He would be gone so soon. Yet he stood there, willing to die, by my hands, just to spend his last moments with me. So ready to give his life, maybe to be with Lorcan, maybe because he didn't have anything to live for. But there he stood, scared, with tears streaming down his face. I could see his emotions plainly in his eyes. Sad, angry, and frightened. And maybe it was my imagination but there seemed to be love there as well. But I didn't dare hope. I couldn't look him in the eyes any longer so I turned back around to Maxfield and raised my hands, attacking him, taking my anger out on him.

   I closed my eyes, seeing Nicandro by my bedside doing jazz hands, taking me to get ice cream. I saw Maxfield, happy, smiling. I saw Nicandro, helping me through the main building. I saw Chrystal, greeting me, she was bubbly, hugging me. I saw Arlen, in the forest, awkward but so loving and kind with dreams of being a wizard. Rafael, shooting arrows, agile, fighting. Nicandro, laughing, eyes sparkling with amusement.Balendin, believing in love, waiting for his mate, falling into the earth. Valdemar, taking a drink, smoking, slashing at the undead. Nicandro, finally finding me. Lorcan, attacking Rafael, seeing him fall for Arlen, seeing him fight, and seeing his life drain from his eyes. Nicandro, being stabbed.

   I sobbed openly in front of Maxfield. I didn't care that he saw, that Arlen, Rafael, Valdemar, maybe even Chrystal saw. They all just watched me, not even attacking, thinking I would calm down. I quickly pushed away the tears. I could cry later. I would cry for my fallen friends.

   "Arlen," I said in a low voice. "I'm sorry. You don't deserve this. You should have your dreams."

   He said nothing.

   "I'm sorry Valdemar. You should just go live by yourself, to never be hurt again. Rafael, I'm so sorry. You were never meant to be hurt by me. I'm sorry about Lorcan, Maxfield. I'm so so so sorry."

   "No." I turned towards the voice, seeing Rafael standing there, fists clenched. "You do not get to say sorry. We all make our own decisions. Val knew that when he came with us. Arlen knew that when he chose a different path. Lorcan knew that."

   "Yeah? And why did you come with us? Wasn't it an order? Were't you in debt?"

   "I chose to go with you. I felt a calling. I thought you would be the one to... Do you even know why I was in debt to a werewolf Alpha? I was trying to help my clan! I thought that you..." Rafael trailed off.

   I stared wide eyed at him. Not saying anything. We just stood there.I looked into his soft eyes, which were full of pain, anger, sadness, and again, love. Just as I thought that I realised that I had started paying mush more attention to eyes since Nicandro. Rafael seemed to search my eyes for something as well. And then a golden coated dog jumped and tried to bite me.